UNSUNG health heroes from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust have been honoured for their exceptional care, values and performance at a glitzy staff awards ceremony.

Oxford Health has 6,200 employees who provide a range of services and include health visitors, district nurses, learning disability services, diabetes advice experts and even specialist dentistry.

Scroll down to see the full list of winners

Touching testimonies of lives which have been transformed by exceptional care, volunteers who give up their time to help others and even a 63-strong team of ‘urgent care’ drivers who keep the health service moving were singled out for their achievements.

More than 100 nominees representing areas of the trust – from Oxfordshire and surrounding counties – were joined by friends, family and senior trust executives in a special ceremony at the Kassam Stadium.

Awards were made in 11 categories celebrating the caring environment and safe service being delivered each day by the dedicated individuals and teams who serve a population in excess of 1.2 million people.

Trust chief executive Stuart Bell CBE told the audience of his gratitude and pride of being part of such an ‘incredible’ trust 'family'.

He said: “I want to thank you all because you are truly outstanding people.

“The trust vision says outstanding care delivered by people.

“Well you are all here and anybody who has been nominated for these awards is, I believe, outstanding.

“You’ve heard what you and your colleagues have been doing over course of the past year and why these awards have been given.

“It’s absolutely fantastic and I am so proud to be part of the same team as you and I am so grateful for what you do. Thank you so much.”

It was the fourth year of the awards.

Each one of the trust staff members had a chance to nominate a team or colleague for special recognition, whether that was being at the forefront of innovation, demonstrating exemplary care, compassion and understanding, or going above and beyond all expectations.

Of the 11 awards, one category was Improving Patient Experience.

This was dedicated to patients’ and service users’ experiences of their treatment with the Trust.

There were also three new categories which recognised volunteers for their commitment and time, newly qualified nurses and people in the trust who promote equality and diversity.

All the winners received an engraved glass trophy, vouchers – £100 for individuals and £200 for a team – and a certificate from the executive Mr Bell and the trust's chairman Martin Howell, who will be retiring in March.

AWARD WINNERS

Delivering Care Award 2018:Tracy Scott, a senior community nurse at Oxford City Community Learning Disability Team.

Awarded to a person or team that has demonstrated high quality care for service users or members of staff.

Ms Scott said: “: I am very honoured to have received this particular award. I think that it has recognised the importance of the therapeutic relationship we need to have with the people we support because that is the essence of learning disability nursing.”

Safe Award Winner 2018: Julie Ashman, a physiotherapy technical instructor at Witney Community Hospital.

Awarded to recognise a person or team that have made improvements to safety.

Ms Ashman said: “We work in such a large organisation and I’m really honoured to be recognised for the work I do.”

Recognising Excellence and Innovation Award 2018: Abbey Ward Therapy Team at Abingdon Community Hospital.

The award is for a team or person that strives to be the best they can be and is committed to leading the way with high standards and excellence, demonstrated with an outstanding contribution.

Senior physiotherapist Karen Clarke, from the Abbey Ward Team, said: “We are delighted to have won. We set up a room where patients were able to experience what it would be like at home. It has been a valuable tool in our rehabilitation progress and promotes seamless patient care.”

Teamwork Award (Clinical): Outreach Service (OSCA) on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and Crisis Team at Raglan House in Oxford.

The winner would have contributed the most, to improve the quality of experience for service users, carers, families or colleagues in the trust by embracing team work.

The team said: “We are incredibly proud of each other, we have worked together through difficult times and keep pushing forwards to support young people and families in times of crisis.”

Teamwork Award (non-clinical): Driver Receptionists for the Urgent and Ambulatory Care in Oxfordshire.

The award is for those who have contributed the most to improve the quality of experience for service users, carers, families or colleagues in the trust by embracing team work.

Hatim Sharif, speaking on behalf of the 63 drivers who work in Oxfordshire, said: “We are all delighted to have won and we are all proud to work for Oxford Health.”

Wellbeing Award: Gemma Brown, a clinical and professional development manager for learning and development at Unipart House in Oxford.

This award recognises staff who have shown a commitment to creating opportunities to support and encourage each other to live healthier lifestyles – through physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Ms Brown said: “It’s been a pleasure working with an amazing team to promote wellbeing. We’ve had brilliant fun this year.”

Living the Values Award 2018: Rumi Mohideen a health care assistant at the Vaughan Thomas Ward in Warneford Hospital, Oxford.

This award is given to the person who exemplifies the trust values and strive to be caring, safe and excellent and to place these values at the heart of everything they do.

Rumi said: "I feel quite overwhelmed and shocked. I really enjoy taking patients out and being on the ward. I’ve done many jobs in my life – from printing to the hotel industry. But this job is not like work for me. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done and I’m so lucky to work with such a great team.”

Rumi says he likes to find different ways of caring for people and that sometimes it ‘takes a bit of creativity’.

He’s an advocate of the healing powers of being outdoors and takes patients to a meadow and orchard where they can experience nature and learn about apples – which are pressed into juice and sold in the hospital café.

Inclusion Award 2018: A Warneford Hospital worker who does not wish to be publicly identified.

They winner told us: “I work for early intervention in psychosis and my job is to support people to obtain competitive, paid employment as part of their recovery.

“I am speechless and can’t verbalise how much this award means to me. My role was a pilot for a year and we had no idea whether it would be a success, so to see that my work has been recognised is really important to me and the team."

Volunteer of the Year Award 2018 JOINT WINNERS: Peer Support Trainees in Oxfordshire and Mary Ward a voluntary therapy dog handler from Littlemore Mental Health Unit in Oxford.

This award is to recognise the contribution of any person or team of people who give their time to contribute as an Oxford Health Volunteer or Trust Governor.

The team at Peer Support Trainees said: “We’re all really proud, it’s been fantastic to give something back. It’s been an unknown adventure and there is an exciting chapter to follow”

Mary said: “I am over the moon with the award. I really didn’t know such things existed and to be nominated and to win makes me s very happy. The dogs give out so much love. So it’s wonderful. They’re delighted too with their biscuits!”

Preceptorship Award 2018: Giles Loch a staff nurse at Amber Ward in the Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury.

This award was open to all registered staff who qualified for practice within the last 18 months.

Giles said: “I’ve only been qualified a year and I’m thrilled by all the support I have received. I’m over the moon that I have won.”

Improving Patient Experience Award 2018: Vaughan Thomas a deputy team manager at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Melksham, Wiltshire.

Mr Thomas said: “I feel honoured. It’s an incredible personal achievement but I am actually privileged to work for the young people we work with. So I’m really chuffed to be recognized.

It’s been a fantastic evening listening to all the awards that have been won and it’s truly amazing to be a part of it all.”